Broken But Whole
by MoonAngelDancer
Summary: [FE7: Rekka no Ken] She began as a traveling tactician. She never thought that she would meet the true heir of Caelin and help end the greedy ambitions of a power-crazed lord. And now, a year later, she finds herself being pulled into another adventure - one that will put her, her newfound friends, and her skills to the ultimate test.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** I recently got into Fire Emblem, and I really must say, I regret that I've never played this series when I was younger. But ah, better late than never, yes? The only thing that made me sad was that the Tactician couldn't get shipped with any of the characters, so I decided to give her a little love by making her an active member of the party. With that being said, enjoy!

Prologue

The bar in the inn was empty that day, save for a couple of patrons and herself. A half-filled tankard before her, she looked over a small notebook, occasionally making small notes with her quill.

"I know it ain't my business," a voice said from across the bar, "but I'm wondering what's in that notebook that's got ye so focused, miss."

She looked up and smiled at the barkeep. "Oh, just reviewing some tactics. Strategies."

"Tactics? Fer war?" The barkeep peered at her. "A little thing like ye is a tactician?"

"I'm only a student, I'm afraid," she said as she took a sip from her tankard. "I still have much to learn."

"Ye should probably talk to them nobles at the castle. I don't know much about tactics, but ye know how nobles are. Always fighting over thing and that. I heard that there was some trouble in Caelin last year."

His remark made her chuckle. "Yes…I heard of it as well."

" _You're leaving, aren't you?"_

 _Sunset. It was sunset then. Her cloak wrapped around her, she nodded. But, her companion must have seen the pain in her eyes, her hesitation to say goodbye._

" _No, I'm not asking you to stay." The new heir of Caelin put a hand on her shoulder, her gaze warm. "It's just that…I'll miss you."_

" _I'll miss you too," she said softly. "All of you."_

" _You know, when I found you unconscious on the plains, I had no idea we would be together for so long."_

 _She nodded. "Our months traveling together are so full of memories. It was a grand adventure."_

" _You've helped us so much, and I'm sure you've learned all you can from us."_

" _Oh, Lyn, you have no idea the things I've learned. This entire journey had its scary moments, but I'm glad that we all came through it all right."_

 _She was surprised when Lyndis pulled her in, hugging her tight. She slowly hugged her back, realizing just how much it was hurting to say goodbye._

" _If this is your plan on making me stay," she choked, trying to keep her voice steady, "it's somewhat working."_

" _I won't hold you back. You said so yourself, you still have much to learn. You'll do just fine on your own."_

 _She chuckled. "How can you be so sure?"_

" _I have the utmost faith that you'll be a master tactician." Lyn beamed. "That's from someone who's seen you at work!"_

 _She slowly stepped back and squeezed her shoulder._

" _Well then, take care…"_

" _I will, Lyn. Don't worry about me overmuch."_

" _I…I hope I see you again, my friend. I'm sure I will someday."_

" _Don't be daft, of course we will. I promise."_

Noises outside the inn snapped her out of her reverie. The barkeep frowned and strode towards the window.

"What the hell is going on?!" he grumbled.

Stowing away her quill and notebook, she quietly exited the inn. She was no stranger to a ruckus like this. A burly man with bright green hair was shouting to the villagers, accompanied by a small band of men with their weapons drawn and pointed at the villagers.

"Groznyi is your new liege!" the man shouted. "Now, bring every last piece of gold, down to the smallest fleck!"

The bandits began their assault. Women screamed as they clutched their children, trying to run to safety, homes were being pillaged and burned afterwards. Amongst the chaos, some of the men began to fight back, but they were no soldiers. Even she knew that numbers couldn't make up for lack of experience. She cursed herself and drew her daggers. Where were the knights? Shouldn't they be protecting the village?!

"And what do we have here?"

Three shadows loomed over her. She clutched her daggers tighter and slowly shifted into a stance. Her right legged throbbed slightly, but now was not the time to rely on luck and run.

"I bet a little thing like you is hiding some gold and valuables under that cloak," one bandit sneered as he ran his thumb over the blade of his axe. "Just give it up and no one needs to get hurt."

"I'm sorry," she said coldly. "I'm afraid I don't have anything you want."

"Those blades look pretty enough. Take 'em!"

Two of them jumped at her, and she prepared to step back, her arms tensing to counterattack…

The first bandit fell before her, an arrow embedded in his back. A moment later, another shadow loomed over the two other bandits – a horse, its rider bearing a lance. The rider thrust the lance forward into the second bandit, right into his chest. Pulling it out quickly, he thrust it into the chest of the third.

"Are you all right?"

She looked up at her savior. A knight with dark green hair was seated on the horse and behind him rode a young girl with hair a brighter shade of green. She was clutching a bow and was looking around worriedly.

"Yes, thank you," she managed to say.

"You best flee right now," the green-haired knight said. "All the best knights have left with Marquess Pherae and there are no reinforcements!"

"But what of the villagers?!" she said. "They need help!"

"We're about to go and seek help from Lord Eliwood and Commander Marcus. For now, those who can get to safety should get to safety!"

 _Eliwood? Wait..._

"Lord Eliwood?" she echoed. "Wait, wait, take me with you! I can help!"

"I understand that you want to help but I don't think –"

"No, please, trust me," she said as she sheathed her daggers. "Take me to Lord Eliwood. I can help."

The green-haired knight seemed to hesitate, but an arrow whizzed past them, missing the horse by inches.

"If she can help us, then let's take her with us!" the girl behind the knight said.

The knight nodded and held out his hand. Taking it, she swung herself up and sat behind the green-haired girl, keeping her cloak wrapped tight around her. The knight urged his horse to break into a run and they clung tight as they left the village.

"Who are you?" the archer asked.

She smiled. "Just a traveling tactician."

"A tactician? Perhaps that is just what we need if Lord Eliwood and Commander Marcus will aid us." The archer smiled back. "I'm Rebecca. And this one's Lowen."

"Pleased to meet you," she said. "My name is Senna."


	2. Timely Reinforcements

**Author's Note:** And here we have chapter one of Broken But Whole! I'm using Eliwood's story here (as I have yet to finish Hector's), and I'm actually still pondering on whether or not I used too much game dialogue for this one. Criticism is welcome, as long as they are constructive!

I also have some sort of theme going on with the chapter titles, as I'm not following the ones they used in the game. Here's a hint: the titles are derived from another game I like playing. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter One: Timely Reinforcements**

They sat on the stone benches in the village square, which was the mostly now free of debris. They had helped the villagers clean up following the aftermath of the bandit raid. While Eliwood spoke with the village chief, Senna was making notes in her little notebook. She didn't notice Rebecca sitting down next to her.

"Is that a diary?" the green-haired archer asked.

The tactician shook and head and glanced at her. "More like a tactics log of sorts. The strategies I've learned and the ones that I've used, I write them down so I could review them later."

Rebecca looked at the open pages, awe clear on her face. "That's amazing. So every single strategy you've used is all here?"

"Most of them," Senna closed the notebook and stowed it away. "I always believe that there's always something to improve on, even if my direction proved to be a success."

"But your direction earlier was already flawless! Not a single one of us got hurt."

"My father taught me that no matter how flawless it may seem, there is always room for improvement."

Before Rebecca could reply, Eliwood and Marcus approached them, both looking grim.

"What's wrong, my lord Eliwood?" Rebecca asked.

"According to your father," Eliwood said, "Lord Darin is planning a war. Marcus suspects that it has something to do with my father's disappearance."

"Wait, Marquess Pherae is missing?" Senna said. "Lowen mentioned that your father took the knights with him, but he didn't mention that the marquess had disappeared."

"It is all very peculiar," Eliwood said. "But I think that we could find answers in Laus."

Her right leg throbbed slightly and Senna had this strange feeling that she knew what Eliwood was going to ask her.

The young lord turned to her. "I have yet to thank you for your guidance, Senna. So, please, accept my heartfelt thanks."

"It's nothing. I just wanted to help as best as I could."

"If you do not mind me asking, where are you bound for next?"

Ah, she knew it. She was about to be pulled into another adventure. Traveling was something she was not particularly fond of, ironic as it was for a wandering tactician such as her. But she had long conceded that it was necessary, given her occupation. She had thought that she could stay for a few years studying under a master tactician in Pherae, but it would seem that fate had something else in store for her.

Still, another adventure did not seem like a bad idea…

"I believe that I don't have another destination at the moment," Senna said. "I was going to talk to your father about studying under his tacticians, but since he's not there…"

"Well then, if you have destination in mind," Eliwood said, "perhaps you could travel with us. Ours is a small group with a single purpose – to find my father. And it so happens that you are looking for him as well. Would you like to help us further, Senna?"

She smiled. "Well, you might need a tactician if ever you do run into some brigands or whatnot…"

"You will travel with us?" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Splendid! We shall gather a few more supplies, then we will take our leave. I do not know where our road will lead, but…We would be stronger with you in our company."

She shook her head. "You put too much faith in my abilities, milord."

"I've the evidence of seeing you at work. I trust you, Senna."

"Lord Eliwood!" Lowen called. "It is nearing sunset. We best be on our way!"

"Yes, we will leave in a moment!" He turned to her once more. "Thank you, Senna. I pray we give you no cause to regret your decision."

She chuckled. "Well, I stuck with Lyn till the end, right? I believe I can give this journey the same commitment."

He laughed and went to Marcus, who was waiting with the horses. Senna and Rebecca made to follow, but a voice called after them.

"Rebecca! Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

The village chief stood behind them, arms crossed. Rebecca glanced at Senna and motioned for her to go ahead. With a nod, Senna watched as the young archer ran towards her father before slowly making her way towards Eliwood, Marcus, Lowen, Dorcas, and Bartre.

"Have you a horse for yourself, Senna?" Lowen asked.

She shook her head. "No, I…I walk."

"We can't have you walking all the way to Lahus!" Eliwood exclaimed. "Here, you can ride behind me."

"Umm…I…all right." She stood beside the horse and took Eliwood's outstretched hand. She felt her leg throb slightly as she slowly pulled herself up to sit behind him.

They watched as Rebecca hugged her father tight and ran towards them. Senna could've sworn that she saw tears in the village chief's eyes as he waved at his daughter. It reminded her of a scene, a couple of years ago...

 _"_ _Take care of yourself."_

 _"_ _I will, father. I'll be fine."_

 _"_ _You have to understand why I'm going to worry so much over you. You're in no condition to travel, and yet…"_

 _"_ _I'll never be in a condition to travel, father. But it's not going to stop me from learning more about being a tactician."_

 _"_ _Just promise to come home someday, safe and sound."_

"Senna? Shall we go?"

Eliwood's voice brought her back to reality. Pulling her hood up so it covered her red hair, she nodded. Nodding to Marcus and Lowen, the party soon set off.

O ~ O ~ O ~ O ~ O

"We should be receiving word soon," Senna said as she studied the landscape surrounding Santaruz Castle, trying to take in as much of it as she could see.

From their camp at the edge of the forest, the castle was situated in the middle of a plain, surrounded by a few hills. In the distance to the left was a large mountain, and they had passed a few hunting lodges before stopping to set up camp.

"Since Santaruz is on the way to Laus," she continued, "I think that not only we ask Marquess Santaruz for information about Lord Elbert, but if he would be willing to lend a few of his troops with us. Given the gravity of the situation…" Her voice trailed off.

"I do hope that he could tell us for certain where the marquess went," Rebecca said.

"Instead of entering Laus with such a small group," Marcus said slowly, "we should meet with Marquess Santaruz and request his assistance…I see the sense in that. It's a good plan, Senna."

"Truly so," Eliwood said as he looked at the castle. "I tell you again, I'm pleased to have you with us."

Senna smiled and shrugged. "It sounded like a good plan. And given that Eliwood did say that Marquess Santaruz and Lord Elbert are very close friends, I think that he's the one who could truly help us."

"I've known him since I was a child," Eliwood said confidently. "I'm sure that he would help us."

Suddenly, Marcus perked up, his eyes narrowed at a nearby hill.

"What?" he said.

A moment later, he jumped up and yanked Eliwood to the side as an arrow flew towards them, burying itself in the grass where he had been sitting.

"What the –?!" Eliwood cried out.

"Lord Eliwood! Beware!" Marcus growled.

Everyone drew their weapons as a group of men approached them. All bore weapons and the largest one – a man carrying a hefty axe – grinned at Eliwood.

"Noble sirs," the man said with a snigger. "Alms for a poor villager?"

Marcus glared at him. "Poor villager? You look nothing like an honest man." He pointed his lance at him. "Clear the road. Step quickly or…"

"Step quickly?" the axe-wielding man said with a laugh. "Good advice. Maybe it's you who should follow it!"

"Senna, stay with Rebecca," Lowen said softly.

The tactician nodded and made her way to the archer, who had her bow drawn and an arrow ready on the string.

"Someone wants the boy in an early grave." The man pointed at Eliwood. "A shame if you ask me, but he'll die here today." He turned to his companions. "Come on boys! Earn your keep!"

The mercenaries rushed forward, brandishing their spears and axes. Eliwood's party advanced, Marcus and Lowen charging forward to take down the ones wearing heavy armor. The sound of steel meeting steel filled the plain, arrows flying from within the thick of the woods. Senna slowly moved with the group, flinging daggers and issuing commands.

"Rebecca, one coming from the right! Marcus, stay close to Eliwood! Use your swords, they'll fare better against axes!"

"Here we go again, eh, Senna?" Dorcas said as he pulled his axe from the body of another mercenary. "Just like old times...Seems our fates were bound."

Senna flicked her wrist, a small knife flying from her sleeve. It struck a man who was swinging at Lowen with his axe, giving the knight enough time to thrust his lance through his attacker's chest.

"I remember there were fewer of them the last time," she said as she threw two knives with deadly precision at a man who was rushing at her. They hit their mark – the man's eyes. A follow-up arrow from Rebecca felled him. "So, how's Natalie?"

"What?" Dorcas swung his axe to block a lance that was aimed at his stomach. "Oh, Natalie?" He pushed his attacker back and swung at him. "She's still in Pherae. I'm working for you this time, so she's not too worried."

Senna was about to say that they were all working for Eliwood but then more bandits burst from the trees, brandishing their axes. Eliwood blocked a strike aimed at his head just in time and countered with a thrust at the man's chest.

"How many are there?" he said. "This looks –"

He was interrupted by a loud voice on the other side of the plain. They looked up just in time to see a blue-haired man dressed in heavy armor bury his large axe into a soldier's stomach.

"It's Hector!" Eliwood said in relief. "Senna, we've reinforcements!"

Hector and his companion, another man dressed in heavy armor, charged in their directon, cutting down their attackers from behind.

"Good, they're getting rid of the other archers and lancers," Senna said gratefully. "Now, we can advance!"

Their enemies seem to be getting more desperate, as more emerged from the other side of the steep, brown hills they faced, their leader among them. He charged at Eliwood, his face seething.

"Curses!" he shouted at his men. "What are you waiting for?! Let me show you boys how it's done!"

"Eliwood, look out!" Rebecca shouted.

Eliwood ducked just in time as the leader of the bandits swung at his head. The lordling's face was a mask of coolness as he slashed at his foe with his rapier twice. The bandit leader cried out in pain as deep gashes appeared on his chest, and lunged at Eliwood again. Eliwood dodged to the side as Rebecca loosed an arrow, finding its mark and sinking into the bandit leader's left arm.

"Why you –!" he shouted.

He blindly rushed forward once more, but a figure leapt up behind him, weapon raised. The leader barely had time to turn and see who it was before a heavy axe was buried into his skull.

"This…was not…so easy…as it seemed…" the bandit leader said.

His voice gurgled for yet another moment and he fell, weapon dropping to the grass beside him. Hector's eyes glinted with triumph as he pulled out his axe, setting it on his shoulder. One glare from him made the remaining bandits turn tail and run, as their leader had fallen. When the last of them had disappeared into the trees of the forest, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Eliwood and the others.

"Whew…I hope that was the last of them," he said.

"While I am grateful that you aided us," Eliwood said barely unable to keep the large grin off his face. "Hector, where did you come from?"

Hector smiled. "Well met, Eliwood."

"Yes, yes, but what are you doing here?"

"You wound me!" the blue-haired lord put on a look of mock pain.

"How do you mean?"

"You're looking for your father, right? Why didn't you send word?"

The conversation continued with a little more friendly banter, which the rest of the party watched silently. Then Hector gestured to the armored man at his side.

"You know Oswin, don't you?" he asked.

"Well met, Lord Eliwood," Oswin said.

"It is good to see you again, Oswin," Eliwood said. "So, you came as well?"

"Yes. Lord Uther was worried about Lord Hector traveling alone. I've been ordered to keep a close eye on him."

Eliwood laughed. "Of course! Good to have you with us!"

"Lord Hector!" a voice called. They turned to see a pink-haired girl dressed in long robes running towards them, followed by a brown-haired man wearing a red cloak. "Why didn't you tell me the fighting was done?!"

Senna peered at the girl, the corners of her lip twitching into a small smile. Of course, no one would forget about _her._

"I apologize for the interruption," the girl's companion said panting. "I couldn't restrain her any longer!"

"Are these your companions, Hector?" Eliwood asked.

"Oh…" Hector glanced at them. "Yes, I suppose they are. One might have hoped for better but…"

His remark made Senna snort, remembering the events of last year. So, even Lord Hector was not spared Serra's…antics. Her snort went unnoticed by most members of the party, though Rebecca and Lowen did glance at her curiously.

"Do you know them, Senna?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know whether to say fortunately or unfortunately," she replied sitting down on a small rock. "But yes, I do."

Hector was gesturing to Eliwood as he introduced his companions. "The noisy one is Serra. Believe it or not, she's a cleric."

"Yes, I am Serra, my lord!" the pink-haired girl said cheerfully. "Pleased to meet you."

"And that's Matthew." Hector pointed to the man wearing the red cloak. "He does a lot of…sneaking around."

"Sneaking…around," Eliwood said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Well…I…er…" Matthew tried to find the right words to say. "I….er…gather information, open doors, chests, and such. I've got…nimble fingers."

"Don't let it worry you," Hector said as Eliwood's suspicious gaze didn't relax.

"But…"

"This journey…I suspect it will be harder than you imagine. You may have to accept things like this if you want to survive."

"What is it, Hector? Do you know something?"

"Nothing specific. Rumors abound though. A league of assassins from Biran has been moving around in Lycia."

"That reminds me. One of the men who attacked us said something odd."

"Lord Eliwood, if I may?" Marcus suddenly said.

"Marcus! Good to see you!" Hector said.

Marcus smiled. "Lord Hector, it's been far too long. Your assistance is greatly appreciated."

"Come now, Marcus, no need for such formalities. Tell me what you've heard."

"Of course. The apparent leader of that gang of thugs…He indicated that someone was watching Lord Eliwood…That someone needed him dead."

"Hmmm…" Hector put down his axe. "That is troubling. Actually, a captain of the guard was watching the fight when we arrived. He was a knight of Santaruz, and yet he just stood there and let a lord be attacked. I think he was planning on seeing you die."

Eliwood looked a little puzzled. Then, he turned to his tactician, who had been silently watching the entire exchange from her seat on the little rock.

"So, Senna, what do you think?" he asked.

"Other than the obvious fact that someone from Santaruz wanted you dead?" she said softly. "I think whoever this person is, it would be safe to assume that he knows the connection between you and Lord Helman." She put a hand under her chin, biting gently on her index finger – a habit she had when she was thinking deeply.

"You might be right," Eliwood said following her train of thought. "Something may have happened to Lord Helman too." He gestured to the party. "Come! We must hurry to the castle!"

Hector came to stand beside him and gestured to her. "Eliwood, who is this?"

"This is Senna. I required tactical aid in the search of my father and..."

"Oh, I see. So this is the one who was directing your battle plan back there, hm?"

Senna shrugged. "Was just doing what is expected of me, my lord."

"You know, Senna, you're very young." Hector was looking at her up and down. "We've many strategists in Ostia, but none so young."

"Well, I thank you for the compli –" Senna began.

"Eliwood, are you sure about this one?"

Hector's last remark made her stop short. How rude of him! Just who did he think he was?!

"You dare imply –" she said angrily.

"Senna is still a student of military strategy," Eliwood said quickly. "But…we've nothing but sound advice so far. She has my trust."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Lord Eliwood."

"All right." Hector still looked skeptical. "I suppose I shall witness your skills firsthand. Well met, Senna."

He made to chuckle but she shot him a glare so icy he could've sworn she could have frozen him right where he stood. Hector surprised himself by shrinking back slightly, as if he was a little anxious of what she would do to him. The tactician slowly rose from the small rock but made no other movements.

"A pleasure, Lord Hector," she said coldly. "Hopefully in the next battle I'll have the hindsight not to send you on the frontlines. Alone. But ah, a student such as myself _could_ make such mistakes."

Hector and Eliwood stared at her, dumbfounded, as she made her way towards Matthew and Serra, who went up to greet her.

"Are you sure we could trust her?" Hector whispered.

Eliwood laughed. "I'm sure she meant it in jest. I hope."


	3. Deploy to the Front

**Author's Note:** I thought I would take this opportunity to reply to some of the reviews I've received (thank you so much for your support!) as well as make a few clarifications about the previous chapters and this chapter.

\- Senna is more or less the same age as Lyn, Hector, and Eliwood, who I gathered to be around 16-17 in the events of _Rekka no Ken_. I looked up some sources, but if I'm wrong about this, please feel free to correct me.

\- I was rewatching some footage of the game on youtube (because I needed the cutscene dialogue) and in my version (the PAL version) as well as the youtuber's version of the game, the place names are slightly different. Bern is Biran, Laus is Lahus, and Ostia is Ositia. I kind of got confused there while I was rewatching, so from this chapter and the succeeding chapters, I will be using the original versions of the place names. I apologize for any confusion this might have caused.

\- I changed the case of Merlinus as his mechanics in the game doesn't really make sense if written in fiction. So, instead of disappearing to God-knows-where when he's not dispatched (seriously, where does he go?), he'll be sticking to the party when they're in battle, with or without the tent. At least, until I figure out how to make his mechanics work in story (if you have suggestions regarding this, they are very much welcome).

\- I'm also going to be picking the fights featured in the story, as I don't want to have to describe every single battle they go through in detail. I think every few chapters would be enough to keep up the plot, yes? If you guys want to see more fights or if you want to see a specific fight, please let me know and I'll try to find a way to work it into the story.

Again, I would like to thank everyone for the support so far and enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter Two: Deploy to the Front**

 _"_ _Darin…the marquess of Laus…knows all. Beware…the Black Fang…"_

The words echoed in her mind as they moved towards Laus. Eliwood and Hector had insisted that they keep moving, and though she wanted to protest, she knew they were right. After they sieged the castle, they had with them a new traveling companion – Guy, a swordsman who, according to Matthew, owed him a debt. Though he was one of the recruits they had been forced to fight to get into the castle, Matthew had talked him into joining their side and helping them get inside. However, the sight that met them in Lord Helman's quarters made it seem that their efforts had been in vain.

They had encountered Lord Helman mortally stabbed, and his parting words yielded more questions than answers. From what they had gleaned, Lord Darin and Lord Elbert were involved in whatever that was happening.

"Senna, I'm sure this place is familiar to you," Eliwood said, his voice cutting into her thoughts.

She looked up and couldn't help but smile. "Caelin."

They were approaching a small village, the same village that she had visited last year, albeit with a different set of companions.

Eliwood signaled for them to halt. "It's getting dark. We'll have to stop here. We'll set out for Laus at the first sign of sunlight." He signaled to Marcus. "Marcus, prepare the camp."

"Yes, my lord," the paladin replied.

The party dismounted and began to help Marcus. As Senna helped Rebecca and Serra pitch their tents, she could overhear Hector and Eliwood talking.

"…I'm curious to see how Lyndis is getting along, though," Eliwood was saying.

"Lyndis?" Hector asked.

"Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."

"Oh, her. The missing heir who dealt with Lundgren last year. Didn't you have something to do with that?"

"We helped!" Serra said loudly.

"Serra!" Senna chastised.

Eliwood chuckled. "Yes. I suppose I did help out somewhat too."

Senna's eyes narrowed as Hector leaned closer to Eliwood and asked something that she couldn't hear. But, she was a tactician, and observation was part of being just that. And judging by the way that Eliwood recoiled and started to blush, she had a pretty good idea of what it was the blue-haired lout asked.

"She's…striking," Eliwood finally said.

"Striking?" Hector asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, then that's too bad isn't it?"

"What?" The red-haired lordling blushed deeper.

"That we don't have time to see her, lover boy." Hector winked at him.

"No!" Eliwood burst out. "Lyndis and I are…We're not…"

The three women watched the entire exchange with amusement, their work forgotten. Senna shook her head and slowly stood, going to the horses to fetch something, but making sure she crossed Eliwood and Hector's paths.

"Hector!" Eliwood said. "Don't make me angry!"

Hector laughed. "You are so much fun to tease!"

"Well, even if we did see her," Senna said cheerfully as she passed by them, "I'm sure that Lord Eliwood would treat her with _far_ more respect than you would, Lord Hector."

Hector gaped at her. "Are you implying that I would disrespect her?!"

Senna shrugged without looking at him. "I did not imply anything. I merely stated that Lord Eliwood is a gentleman, and you…well, you seem to get by all right enough."

Eliwood made a choking sound that Senna took as a shocked laugh. Without looking at him, Senna could tell that Hector was either glaring at her or trying to form a coherent reply.

"You...just who do you think you are?!" he said angrily.

The tactician chuckled and retrieved her pack from the horses. Turning to face him, she beheld Hector gripping the handle of his axe, as if debating to himself whether or not to retaliate with a physical attack.

"Me?" she said innocently. "Oh, merely a tactician who loves observing people. After all, it helps me greatly when I'm at work. And while I would say that yes, I do think Lyndis is beautiful, I would say that if she ever caught you ogling, she'd sooner bury her sword into your gut before you could blink."

"I wasn't going to –" Hector sputtered.

"You were thinking it." Oh, she felt like skipping when she saw his face, but decided it would do her life no good if she provoked him further. _And your manners need work._ She decided not to say that last thought aloud.

Hector watched her make her way back to where Rebecca and Serra waited, barely containing their laughter. How dare she say such things to him! He ought to wring her neck, and he so desperately wanted to. However, something about her caught his attention. There was something off about the way she walked…

"Eliwood…" he began.

A scream cut him off, echoing throughout the trees. Everyone froze, suddenly alert.

"Someone's being attacked!" Eliwood said.

"Do we help?" Hector asked.

"Of course we help, you oaf!" Senna shouted at him. She pointed at the trees. "It sounded like it came from over there!"

O ~ O ~ O ~ O ~ O

In the end, she hadn't done much, as the small band of bandits proved easy to dispatch. Now, she sat near the campfire as Eliwood talked with Merlinus, the merchant they had saved. Lowen had cooked rabbit stew for dinner, and while some of her companions chatted amongst themselves, she saw the opportunity to study the map of Laus from the small collection she had acquired last year.

"Have you eaten?" a voice asked above her.

She glanced up from the map. Marcus was holding out a bowl of stew to her.

"I thought I'd study this first," she said accepting the bowl and setting it on the ground beside the map. "I'm sure we're going to encounter some difficult enemies when we get to Laus."

"While I do admire how dedicated you are to your work," Marcus said, "you mustn't forget to take care of yourself first. Can't have you collapsing in the middle of battle now, can we?"

"I suppose you're right, Marcus." She put a spoonful of stew in her mouth and found it really tasty. "Thank you."

"If I may, there's something I want to ask."

She gestured for him to continue as she ate her stew. Marcus glanced at the group still sitting around the campfire, as if to make sure they would not be overheard, then turned back to her.

"When are you going to tell Lord Eliwood or Lord Hector about your condition?" he asked.

Senna paused, another spoonful stopping halfway to her mouth. She kept her face impassive, but her heartbeat pounded in her ears. "How did…how did you…?"

"I've been a knight for many years, Senna. Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector are still young, they haven't learned to look for the signs of someone trying to hide an injury."

She put down her bowl, hands curling into fists. She thought she had perfected it, no one had noticed in the past few years, not even Sain and Kent had seen through her.

Marcus sighed and sat on a rock beside her. "You don't plan on telling them, are you?"

"I'd rather that not a single person in this party know about it," she said softly. "Ever."

One of her hands wandered down to her leg, and she tried to ignore the throbbing. Marcus shook his head after a few more minutes of silence. Realizing that she wasn't going to say any more about the topic, he stood.

"I won't tell Lord Eliwood or Lord Hector," he said, "but neither will I deny it if ever they ask. Just remember, if you find yourself in danger because they did not know about it, it will be your own fault."

"I know." She smiled at him reassuringly. "It's my problem, Marcus. So let me deal with it by myself."

The paladin gave a curt nod and walked back to his tent. Senna turned back to her map, though slightly more troubled than before. She glanced back at that campfire. No one seemed to have noticed the exchange between her and Marcus.

 _They can't know,_ she thought. _They should never ever know._

O ~ O ~ O ~ O ~ O

The sun was high in the sky when they finally caught sight of Castle Laus. To get to Ostia, they had to pass Laus, and Eliwood himself was not leaving without answers from Lord Darin.

"If Lord Helman was to be believed," Senna said from her seat in the saddle behind Eliwood. "I think Lord Darin is not going to be so welcoming."

"I believe so as well," Eliwood said. "So, what are your plans, Senna?"

"I've studied the landscapes near and around the castle. If they do come out to attack us, I think our best bet is to stick together and meet them head-on."

Hector came up beside them, his eyes narrowed at the soldiers assembled near the village.

"Bah!" he spat. "Marquess Laus! What is he scheming?"

"If we go and learn the truth, we may have to go to war," Eliwood said.

"That's fine with me!" Hector said with a grin.

Senna sighed. "Yes, that way you can go around bashing people with your silly axe. Such will be a paradise for you!"

"Careful, woman," Hector growled, "I'm running out of patience with you."

"I wasn't aware that you had any."

The two exchanged furious glares whilst Eliwood looked wistful.

"If I concentrate on the foe before me," he said, "I'm fine. But if I picture families, innocents caught up in our foolish politics? If I imagine them…" His voice trailed off.

"Lord Eliwood…" Senna said softly. She flashed Hector a "see-what-you've-done?" look.

"All I can do is pray for a way to solve things peacefully," the red-haired lordling finished.

Hector looked taken aback by his friend's words, his expression turning remorseful. But before anyone else could say anything, they heard the sound of hooves coming towards them. Marcus, who had been riding several paces ahead, called out to them.

"Lord Eliwood! A knight has ridden forth from the castle!"

"A lone knight?" Eliwood asked in puzzlement.

Marcus rode up beside them. "Yes, my lord. I sent Rebecca, Lowen, and Matthew to scout ahead and they say it's Marquess Laus's son, Erik. He's asking to see you."

Hector shook his head. "Why did it have to be that buffoon?"

"I will see him," Eliwood said signaling for their party to stop and began to dismount. "Bring him here."

Hector, however, urged his horse to keep moving. "I'm leaving. I never could abide him. I'll go for a ride and survey our surroundings."

The rider came closer as Hector left, and they could make out a man wearing deep purple armor. As Eliwood helped Senna dismount, the rider stopped before Eliwood and bowed slightly.

"Hello!" he said. "It's been a long time, Eliwood!"

"Erik," Eliwood said warily, "what is your business?"

"My business?" Erik looked a little confused. "What do you mean?"

Senna peered at him from behind Eliwood, carefully observing his actions. There was a hidden glint in Erik's eyes and the way he gripped his weapon made it look as if he was going to relish driving it through Eliwood's chest.

"I heard my old friend was in Laus," Erik said cheerfully. "I merely thought I'd ride out to greet you!"

Eliwood said nothing, but he glanced back at her, and she shook her head slightly, the movement barely seen under her hood. Senna glanced at the other members of the party, showing them a glint of her dagger hidden in her sleeve. Marcus and Oswin saw the sign and nodded, slowly moving closer to Eliwood. Guy, Matthew, and Lowen saw it as well, and their hands began to move towards their scabbards.

"So, tell me friend," Erik said, "what brings you to Laus? Are you on your way to Ostia?"

"Why would you think that?" Eliwood kept his voice even.

"Well, you were always such good friends with Hector. He and I…never got along very well."

 _I could say the same,_ Senna thought, _except that just by looking at you I'd rather have the oaf's company than yours._

Erik droned on. "For a noble, his behavior was crude, and his manner of speech…You would have thought him a peasant on first glance." He smiled at Eliwood. "You're still friends with Hector, aren't you? When did you see him last? How do you communicate?"

"He's asking far too many questions," Senna said under her breath, loud enough for only Eliwood to hear.

"And who's this?" Erik finally turned his attention to her. "Another friend of yours, Eliwood? Why does he hide under a heavy cloak? Let me see your face, friend!"

"Erik," Eliwood said sharply. "You're after something. What is it?"

"Pardon?"

He gestured to the village, where soldiers were assembled. "Laus is preparing for battle. What are you and your father planning? I will know the truth!"

Erik chuckled, his face growing dark. "Eliwood…I have always despised you. How I long to smash you and your pathetic morality to pieces! I've dreamed of this day, and here it is at last!"

He raised his lance and made to thrust it at Eliwood, when a glint of steel flashed, the movement swift. A loud clink was heard as a large axe deflected the blow.

"Too bad you'll not live to see the end of it," Hector said as he pushed the lance back, almost sending Erik off balance.

Erik cursed. "Y-you! Hector! You couldn't…have you spoken with Ostia already?!"

As the rest of the party moved closer to Eliwood, Hector made a show of spinning his axe and resting it on his shoulder.

"Maybe we have," he said, "maybe we haven't." He glanced at Eliwood. "This mongrel has troops lying in ambush all around us. Laus regulars, every one. We're in for a rough time."

She had to admit, Hector had a way of looking imposing. And he had confirmed her suspicions – Erik hadn't come for pleasantries.

Erik laughed. "There's little point in fighting! You're trapped! How long do you think you can survive?"

"Craven cur!" Eliwood cried out as he lunged at him.

Erik deflected the sword swipe and rode away, his laughter echoing across the plain. All around them, they heard the sound of horses and heavy footsteps. Everyone drew their weapons, ready to fight.

"What a world of trouble you've landed yourselves in, yes?"

Hector jumped at the voice. An old woman cackled behind him, her eyes shining with mirth.

"You startled me, old woman!" Hector said. "You should get out of here. This is going to be a bad place to stay if you plan on living."

"I want to see the one searching for his father," the old woman said. "Marquess Pherae's son."

"Listen up, old woman," Hector said. "You're close to death as it is! Quit your yammering and move on!"

"Hector!" Eliwood said. "You should mind your manners."

"I don't like to be the one bearing ill news," Senna said as she surveyed their surroundings. "But the soldiers are getting closer. They seem to be waiting for us to strike first, so, whatever it is you and the old lady need to talk about, please make haste!"

She barely heard what they were talking about, but she caught a few words such as "weapons" and "seeing things." Suddenly, she heard a voice beside her.

"The young lord says I should confer with you as you are the tactician of this group."

She glanced at the old woman. "Regarding?"

"Auguries for before you engage the enemy." The old woman smiled.

"Oh, for the love of –" she had half a mind to yell at Eliwood, but now was not the time to argue, especially with the enemy upon them. "Oh, very well, give me an augury then!"

"Will you pay the price of 50 gold?"

"Yes, yes, speak to Merlinus later and I'll arrange it!" Senna drew her knives.

This battle was getting more tedious than she liked. Did Eliwood not trust her judgement? She was going to have words with him if they live through this.

 _What are you thinking, of course we'll live through this!_ She scolded herself. _Eliwood trusts you to make sure we all live through this!_

"Many of your foe will be carrying spears," the old woman said softly. "You should take axes…Yes, many axes. And if that shrewish cleric girl is with you, take her as well. She might well meet an old friend."

"Serra? Who could she possibly –"

"The weather doesn't look very good, though. Be prepared for sudden changes."

She glanced up. While she had seen that many of the soldiers did carry spears, she did not notice the weather. The sky indeed was growing dark, the clouds beginning to clump together.

"Thank you, old lady," she said. "Stay with Merlinus, we'll make sure you're well-guarded as we move."

"Well? Do we have a plan or not?" Hector yelled.

She move turned to the huddled party. "Dorcas, Bartre, Hector. We'll need you in the vanguard. Oswin and Lowen, stay near Rebecca and Merlinus, in case they need extra protection. Serra, keep close with Hector and the others."

Serra nodded. "Understood, Senna! But I do so hate having to see so much violence, perhaps if I could –" She grew silent when Senna glared at her. "All right, all right, don't look so angry!"

"What about me?" Eliwood asked.

"You'll be in the middle with me," Senna said. "That way you could rush to either end if a side needs more help while I could issue commands. Though, I think the vanguard will need you as well. Marcus…"

"Senna, let me take point!" Marcus said. "There may be many of them, but numbers are meaningless! These knights of Laus will never defeat us!"

"No, Marcus, I need you to stay with me and Eliwood in the middle. Move slowly, but stay together, understand?"

Everyone nodded and took their positions. Senna watched the soldiers of Laus come to a stop a few feet away, waiting for them to attack first. It was a classic tactic – wait for your opponent to engage, then counter-engage. But she had to agree with Marcus, numbers meant nothing if your opponent was well-prepared.

And she was going to see to it that they would survive this and the many battles before them.

 _Besides,_ she thought, _that oaf Hector is not going to let me hear the end of it if we die here._


	4. Defiant Strike

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. I recently landed a job and work's been keeping me rather busy. But because I found that I can work on these while I have nothing to do at work, chapters should be coming out faster now. Hopefully.

I've also finished Hector's Story in _Rekka no Ken_ , so I'll be able to add some scenes from there in this story!

 **Chapter Three: Defiant Strike**

Senna watched the field carefully, sending out orders as they advanced. Erik's men were coming to them in small groups, which Hector and the others quickly dispatched quickly. As they moved to towards the castle, she glanced back at Lowen.

"Lowen, we seem to be holding up fine here!" she said. "Take Merlinus and the old lady to the other village by the sea! They should be safer there!"

He nodded and motioned to Rebecca and Oswin. Suddenly, Eliwood yanked her to the side. An arrow whizzed past, missing her by inches.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you. Hold on."

She flicked her wrist, and a dagger shot out from within the confines of her sleeve, flying towards the enemy archer who had shot at her. The dagger buried itself in his chest and he fell.

"Nice shot, Senna!" Eliwood said.

She smiled at him and motioned for them to press on. Their group moved forward slowly, nearing the city closer to the castle. A robed figure with deep purple hair was locked into combat with two spearmen, small dark clouds floating above them. Every few seconds, a bolt of lightning would strike down, trying to hit the spearmen.

"Senna!" Serra called. "Look! It's Erk!" She ran past Hector, Bartre, and Dorcas, rushing towards the city gates.

"Serra, wait!" Senna called. "Dorcas, cover her!"

Dorcas ran after Serra as Bartre threw his hand axe, striking a spearman who was just about to attack the cleric. They reached Erk just as he finished off another of his attackers, the dark clouds dissipating.

"Omigosh!" Serra said gleefully as she reached the mage. "It's been SO long! What are you doing here?"

Erk visibly cringed, much to Senna's amusement, and turned to face Serra.

"Oh…Serra," he said. "You're the last person I wanted to see."

Senna motioned for Hector and the others to let them talk, gesturing to another group of Erik's men moving towards them. After a while, Serra tugged at Erk's hand, pulling him towards the tactician.

"Senna!" she said. "Erk has agreed to help us out if we could find his employer in the south village!"

"The south village…" Senna said slowly. "That's where I sent Lowen with Merlinus and the old lady. Don't worry, Erk, we can meet up with them after."

"I would say it's nice to see you again, Senna," Erk said as they moved to catch up with the vanguard, "but the circumstances right now aren't so favorable."

"That seems to be happening a lot lately," she replied. "Eliwood, to your left!"

Eliwood turned, facing a horseman with a long lance. He ducked out of the way as the horseman swung at him, and slashed at the horse's legs with his sword. The horse whinnied as it fell, taking its rider along with him. The horseman jumped off just in time, but Hector rushed forward and swung his axe before he could stand and recover.

"Almost there!" Eliwood said.

At that moment, lightning flashed across the sky, making Marcus' horse whinny. Rain began to pour in heavy torrents.

 _Just like what the old woman said,_ Senna thought. "We're going to have to move slower. We're going to be walking on mud soon and the horses are going to have a hard time. Marcus, you doing all right?"

"Yes, don't worry about me," Marcus replied. "Though you're right Senna, it is going to be a little difficult moving in the rain."

She pulled her hood higher over her head, trying to see through the rain. It was getting harder to see, but because of the distinct armor that Erik's men wore, she could still adapt.

Hector grunted as a soldier armed with a sword slashed at him. Immediately, Serra raised her staff and lights swirling with healing energy wrapped around Hector, closing his wounds. The lordling jumped up, swinging his axe down with all his might, bringing his attacker down.

Senna smiled. For all her boisterousness, Serra knew her role well that she didn't need much direction. They were close to the castle gates now, and she could see the bulky armor that identified Erik waiting for them.

"There he is!" she said.

Barking out orders, the group split up, with Hector and Eliwood rushing at Erik, whilst Bartre and Dorcas dispatched the guards near Erik. Marcus rode to support Hector and Eliwood, but due to the mud and rain, his horse was moving slower.

"Erk, incoming on your right!" she said.

The mage nodded and did a quick gesture with his hands. Fire shot out of his palms, scorching the two swordsmen that were advancing on them. As they caught up with Hector, Eliwood, and Marcus, she found them locked in a duel with Erik and three of his remaining soldiers.

"Erik, stop this nonsense!" Eliwood shouted as he avoided a slash of Erik's sword. "I've no wish to strike down a fellow classmate!"

Erik roared and thrust out with his spear. Eliwood moved to dodge, but the spear managed to strike his side.

"Eliwood!" Hector shouted. He rushed at Erik.

"I got him!" Serra said as she raised her staff again.

Erik turned to Hector, his eyes glazed over with anger and hate. "You've…you've always been an eyesore to me. No matter how hard I tried…You two garnered all the attention, all the praise." He blocked Hector's axe strike with his sword. "In the classroom, in the training grounds, everywhere and everything!"

"Erk, Senna, watch out!" Marcus shouted.

They ducked as an arrow cut through the rain, aimed right at them. Marcus rode off to the side, cutting down the nearby archer.

"Soon, all of Lycia will be under our control!" Erik shouted.

He rushed at Eliwood, but he was ready. As Erik struck, Eliwood slashed at the horse's legs. The horse whinnied and fell, taking its rider down with his. Fortunately, Erik managed to roll off before it crushed him. The rain began to weaken as he picked up his spear, his sword still in his other hand.

"If you had even a hint of skill," Hector said, "perhaps you'd –"

"Hold your tongue!" Erik cried. "I will hear no more! No more!"

He rushed forward, aiming his spear at Eliwood's heart. Erk moved, waving a hand. Lightning struck down at Erik. Erik cursed and jumped back to dodge – which was precisely Erk's intention. With Erik distracted, Marcus moved forward, and hit Erik in the chest with the bottom of his javelin.

"Call off your men," he growled. He rotated the spear so now the point was aimed at Erik's throat.

"I am no one's prisoner," Erik spat.

The rain began to slow, and stopped completely. Eliwood stood over Erik as Senna looked around them, watching if anymore soldiers would show up. Erik's remaining guards still had their weapons out, but looked at their commander with uncertainty. With a sigh, Erik gestured for them to lay down their arms.

"Let him up," Hector said.

Marcus obeyed and took away his javelin. Erik slowly rose to his feet but Eliwood pointed his rapier at him, letting him know that he should know better than try anything funny.

"You…you peasants!" Erik spat. "You can't treat a proper noble like this!"

"Too late for niceties," Hector said. "But thankful you're still breathing."

Senna glanced at Eliwood, and behind the steely gaze in his eyes, she saw a hint of mercy. She stayed behind Marcus, not wanting Erik to pay too much attention to her. Hector stepped forward and grabbed the front of Erik's armor.

"You are going to lead us into the castle," he said, "and we're going to have a little chat with your father. All right?"

"I don't take orders from mongrels like you," Erik sneered.

"Do as he says, Erik," Eliwood said. "Or we could just leave you here with Marcus while we search the castle ourselves."

Glancing at the paladin who had pointed a javelin at his throat, Erik gulped. He nodded and turned towards the gates, and they silently followed.

O ~ O ~ O ~ O ~ O

Dressed in a fresh cloak and dry clothes, Senna sat in one of the castle libraries with the rest of the party. Eliwood and Hector were speaking to Erik in the throne room. As she dried her hair, she spoke to Priscilla, a Troubadour who happened to be Erk's employer that Lowen and the others had saved from the south village.

"I was adopted by Count Caerleon of Eturia," Priscilla was saying. "And I wanted to search for my brother. Erk is my bodyguard."

"I can't promise you that we'll find him," Senna said as she carefully braided her hair, which she noticed was a darker shade of Priscilla's flaming red. "We have a long, arduous journey ahead of us."

"But chances are better if we go with you," Priscilla said. "Right, Erk?"

"If that is your wish, Lady Priscilla," Erk replied.

Nodding, Senna glanced around the room. Serra was talking to Rebecca and Lowen, Guy was dozing off on one of the settees. Bartre and Dorcas were mostly remaining silent. Merlinus and the old lady, whom she now learned was named Hannah, were at one corner of the room. Hannah seemed to be reading Merlinus' palm, whilst the merchant seemed fascinated. Oswin and Marcus were standing guard outside and Matthew…was nowhere to be seen.

The door opened and Eliwood and Hector walked in. All chatted ceased as the party turned their attention to them. They were still dripping wet from the storm earlier, mud caking their boots.. Eliwood motioned to Senna.

"We need to talk privately," Eliwood said.

Senna nodded but picked up two clean towels from the pile Merlinus had on him, and followed them out the door. Leading her to the staircase at the front hall, Hector and Eliwood turned to her.

"What did you find?" she asked as she handed them the towels.

"Thank you," Eliwood said as he started to wipe himself off.

"Erik's father isn't here," Hector said as he followed suit. "He took all the castle's reinforcements and abandoned Erik."

"So that's why the castle seemed so empty…" she glanced around them. "Did you find out the reason?"

"Apparently, a man named Ephidel is the cause," Eliwood said. "He convinced Marquess Laus to try to incite a rebellion. This Ephidel apparently is a member of the Black Fang assassins."

"The Black Fang assassins?" Senna said. "I've heard of them, they're a well-known mercenary group. For Marquess Laus to enlist their help…"

"Erik believes that my father is dead for disagreeing with Lord Darin," Eliwood said. "But I don't believe it. We have to find Lord Darin and get the truth from him."

"But we don't know where he went," she said. "He abandoned Erik and took his men with him. I doubt anyone else in the castle knows where he went."

"Blast!" Hector cursed. "We can't just sit around here and do nothing with that villain running around in Lycia!"

"And we can't act without thinking things through first!" she said sharply. "We have to rethink our plan. Right now, everyone's had a long day. Let's rest here awhile and then starting searching for clues tomorrow."

Eliwood nodded. "You're right, Senna. Truly, I am pleased that you're here with us."

Her reply was a smile….followed by a little sneeze.

 _Oh no,_ she thought.

"We better get cleaned up," Hector said. "And you should get some rest now, Senna."

"Aw, are you concerned about my well-being, Lord Hector?" she asked sweetly. "It's nothing, I assure you."

"We don't want you fainting in the middle of the battlefield because you came down with something."

Her smile turned icy. "The day I fall unconscious in battle is the day you start acting like a gentleman, Lord Hector. But you're right, I think I shall go rest."

As she turned to walk back to the library, she heard Hector mutter "ice queen."

She spun around and flicked her wrist. Hector yelped and jumped back as a dagger quivered on the wall, inches from his face.

"What the hell?!" he yelled.

"Next time, I won't miss," she said as she turned and walked back into the library.


	5. Rally the Forces

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! It may seem like I fell off the face of the earth, but really, life took me hostage and kept me locked up the past several months. A little drama here and there happened and I found myself a new job. Said new job is keeping me really busy and tired these days, but I finally got time to sit down and write again. And well...as you may know, Fire Emblem Fates came out and I just had to.

But, anyways! I have returned with a new chapter! Enjoy!

 **Chapter Four: Rally the Forces**

The moment Senna stepped into one of the private studies, she was greeted by Hector's scowl and Eliwood's worried face. She was slowly getting used to seeing those expressions now, which didn't help matters at all. In fact, she could almost swear they were getting worse and worse.

"Blast!" Hector cursed. "Where has that snake Darin gone?!"

"I doubt he's left Lycia yet," Eliwood said. "But Hector…it's been five days."

Senna cleared her throat, making them glance up and turn to her direction. "Still no news?"

Eliwood shook his head. "None. As far as everyone left here in Laus is concerned, Lord Darin has vanished without a trace." His knuckles were white, his hands clenched tight. "The death of Marquess Santaruz…our attack on Laus Castle…Word of these things must have reached Lord Uther by now."

 _Lord Uther_ , the Tactician thought recalling her notes. _Lord Oaf's older brother. Marquess of Ostia..._

"Yet he shows no sign of action. Why?"

"I'm sure he has his reasons," the blue-haired lordling said. He shook his head and it didn't escape Senna's notice the flash of worry that flickered in his eyes. "My brother has other concerns tying his hands right now."

"What do you mean?" she asked softly as she sniffed and pulled out a clean handkerchief. In the past few days, she had come down with a minor cold. Fortunately, Priscilla and the old woman Hannah had prevented the symptoms from getting worse.

Hector sank into a nearby chair. "It's Bern. We've received disturbing reports over the past few months. King Desmond is behaving oddly. And if he sees the slightest crack in Lycia's defenses, we believe he'll invade with all of Bern's might behind him."

"What?!" Senna's eyes grew wide. Ostia was the largest territory of the Lycian League, and thus ruled over all the others. With its reputation of excellent knights and generals, to invade it was almost unthinkable.

"My brother has only recently become marquess," Hector continued, "as well as head of the Lycian League. He can't allow another country to see weakness or discord."

Of that, she had to agree with him. Despite not being a noble herself, she knew that putting on a façade was necessary at times. And it seemed that even Eliwood caught on as well.

"He has to present the face of stability and strength, is that it?" he asked.

"Yes. It seems every country has a spy working in Ostia right now. They all want to assess the new marquess' new temperament and skill."

A part of her pictured the blue-haired lordling as the marquess, and she bit back a laugh. Hector would make a terrible leader – his way of solving problems was to grab his axe and lop off the head of the one who would offend him. Hiding her smirk behind her handkerchief, she fought to keep her face straight. Now was not the time to be amused, even if she held an intense dislike for this particular lord. No, "dislike" was too strong a word.

Intense annoyance, she decided. Yes, that suited what she felt for him perfectly.

"Hector, you're the marquess' brother," Eliwood was saying. "Would not being by his side be seen as something "wrong"?"

"The marquess' brother is a well-known lout." Hector smiled a little. "If I _were_ at court, they'd sense something wrong."

 _Well, at least he admits it,_ she thought.

"You're not too proud of that reputation, are you?"

Hector grimaced. "Not in the least."

Senna let out a small chuckle. "Why not do something about it then?"

"My reputation is somewhat fixed already, Senna." He glared at her. "It's not easy to change the minds of those at court."

"Have you even tried?" the Tactician smirked. "Or is behaving for one full day _that_ much of a challenge?"

She shouldn't be baiting him, she knew. But for some reason, she was enjoying it far too much. Eliwood was staring at her, though his stance was ready if ever his best friend tried anything.

"Why you –!" He gripped his axe and rose from his chair.

"Hector!" Eliwood's arm shot out in front of him. "Senna, that was too far."

"Apologies, Lord Eliwood." She inclined her head slightly at him. _But this is far better than seeing cold fury or worry on his face._

"Pay her no mind, Eliwood," Hector growled as he stood his ground. "Perhaps the ice queen just needed to lash out because she hasn't been able to get out of bed the past couple of days."

There was a flash of silver in her sleeve. "Call me that again and I'll –"

The doors suddenly burst open. Marcus appeared, looking alarmed and slightly out of breath.

"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector!" he said.

"What is it, Marcus?" Eliwood said, all tension between Senna and Hector forgotten. "Have you heard something?"

"Yes, my lord. A messenger from the east! Castle Caelin has fallen to a surprise attack from Marquess Laus!"

"Castle Caelin?!" Eliwood and Senna exclaimed.

Fear filled her. Her first friend ever since she left home, the person she considered her best friend, was she safe?!

"Lord Hausen, is he unharmed?" Eliwood asked.

"We've no word on Lord Hausen or his granddaughter, the lady Lyndis."

"No…" Senna shook her head. "Not Lyn…"

 _Not her. Not when she's found happiness at last._

"Lord Eliwood…Lord Hector…what should we do?"

"Isn't it obvious?!" she snapped. "Get everyone together and ready to go!"

"Senna's right," Eliwood said. "We ride to their aid! There may still be time!"

Without bothering to wait for them, she rushed outside the room as fast as her legs would take her. Her heart pounding in her chest, she called out to the rest of the party.

 _Fight Lyn,_ she thought as doors began to open, revealing the bewildered looks of their companions. _You promised we would see each other again!_

Caelin was not too far from Laus, and she insisted that they ride nonstop. As noon approached on the second day, Hector, who had been riding ahead, pointed forward.

"I've spotted the enemy!" he called. He suddenly stopped as they reached the top of a hill. "Why are their archers advancing?"

"Hector, what's wrong?" Eliwood, with Senna riding behind him, stopped a few feet away.

Scanning the terrain before them, the Tactician saw that there were at least 50 soldiers, all clad in the colors of Laus. Some were marching towards the village below, near the castle, and their archers…

"They're aiming at something up high," Hector said.

Squinting at the sun, she could barely make out a rather weird shape flying towards them.

"A Pegasus knight!" Marcus said.

The shape flew nearer, and she saw a flash of pinkish hair. Eliwood gasped.

"Could it really be…" he said. "Florina, is that you?"

"Yes!" the Pegasus knight called. "I'm Lady Lyndis's –"

"Florina! Fly lower!" Eliwood called.

Before anyone could react, a spray of arrows peppered the air, all aimed at the Pegasus knight. Florina gave out a cry, trying to dodge as many as she could. The winged horse whinnied and jerked around in panic, bucking and thrashing.

"Florina!" Senna cried out.

"Ahhhh!"

In its terrified state, the Pegasus had thrown her off its back. Everyone froze as Florina fell…right on top of Hector. The axe wielder crumpled to the ground, shocking everyone out of the reverie. Eliwood rushed to them, leaning over Florina.

"Ah…" the Pegasus knight groaned.

"Can you hear me?" Eliwood asked. "Florina?"

Florina's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Lord Eliwood? I…"

"Those archers almost hit you!" Eliwood said. Florina's Pegasus landed beside them, looking still slightly shaken but none the worse for wear.

"I'm sorry," Florina said. "I'm such trouble…"

The lordling held out a hand. "I'm just glad you're not hurt."

Senna glanced at Florina's supposedly uncomfortable seat. Hector glared at her with a "don't-you-dare-laugh" look. And she would have, if not for the direness of their situation.

"Tell me, Florina, weren't you with Lyndis?" Eliwood asked.

"Yes!" she said. "Lord Eliwood, Lady Lyndis is beyond that forest." She gestured in the direction from where she came. She's waiting for a chance to assault the castle."

"She's what?!" Senna cried out.

Eliwood shook his head. "Ah…Still, it's good to hear that she's safe."

"She's fine," Florina said. Hector mumbled something from underneath her, but she appeared to not have heard (or noticed that she was sitting on someone). "However, Lord Hausen's been captured! He's still in the castle."

"I see," Eliwood said. "Let's go then!"

Florina nodded and stood up, making her way back to her Pegasus. Hector grunted as he got up, dusting off the dirt from his armor. He glanced at Senna, who had a hand to her mouth, evidently trying so hard not to laugh. Behind her, several of their party had the same expressions on their faces.

"Not. A. Word," Hector growled as he made to follow Eliwood.

"As you wish, milord," the Tactician said with a mock curtsy.

O ~ O ~ O ~ O ~ O

As they fought their way up the hill leading to the castle, another group burst through the trees opposite them. Eliwood stopped short as he recognized them.

"Lyndis!" he said.

Lyndis raised her sword, but stopped when she saw them. "Eliwood? You made it!"

"Lyn!" Senna stepped forward a big grin on her face.

"Senna? Is that you?" Lyndis peered at her. "Of course it's you! I'd know that cloak anywhere!" She moved to hug the Tactician tight. "How have you been? When we promised to see each other again, I didn't think it would be in a situation like this."

"Florina told us where you were," Senna said. "We're here to help."

"Thank you," Lyndis said. "I would ask to meet the rest of your group, but we have to press on."

"Agreed, let's go," Senna said.

The more they moved up the hill, the more armored their enemies seem to become. Senna moved slowly with the vanguard, throwing out instructions and keeping her eyes open around them.

"Sain, Kent, big one coming!" she cried out.

"I see him, Lady Senna!" Kent said. Together with Sain, they blocked the armored soldier's spear. The force threw the soldier backwards, upsetting his balance. Kent then lunged forward with his sword, burying the blade into the slit his opponent's helmet.

The castle loomed over them and at the gates stood another armored soldier, though his looked bulkier. In his hands he carried a spear.

"Come at me, runts!" he shouted as they approached. "I am Bauker and you will fall before me!"

Lyndis gripped her sword tight and was about to rush towards him, but Senna threw an arm out, stopping her.

"Hector, Erk, wear him down," she said.

Hector didn't need to be told twice. He rushed towards Bauker, Erk following close behind him.

"Senna, what…?" Lyndis asked.

"Let Hector and Erk wear him down then you can strike when he's open," Senna said. "He has no more reinforcements!"

Though he was large, Bauker's armor made his movements clunky. Hector swung his axe as he thrust his spear forward, deflecting the blow. Bauker stumbled back and that's when Erk made a rapid gesture with his hands. A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, forcing the soldier to stumble back again to avoid it. He leaned on his spear to steady himself.

That was the opening that they were waiting for. Lyndis rushed forward, kicking the spear from his grasp before stabbing her sword into his neck. Bauker coughed, his voice turning into a wet gurgle.

"We've…been…defeated?" he choked as he slumped to the ground.

Lyndis pulled her blade out and turned to the castle gates.

"Once we've defeated the remaining foe inside, the castle's yours again," Eliwood said.

"Thank you, Eliwood," Lyndis said. She smiled. "If not for your help, I don't know where I'd be right now."

Eliwood looked downfallen. "All of this happened because we routed Lord Darin at Laus. It's only right that we help.

"Eliwood!" Hector called as the rest of the party moved inside the castle. "We've moving into the castle!"

"Who's that?" Lyndis asked.

Senna sighed and moved to follow. "An oaf who most likely alerted our enemies inside that we've breached the gates."

"Oh yes," Eliwood said quickly as they followed, "let me introduce you. Hector!"

Hector stopped as Senna passed. "What?"

"This is Lyndis," Eliwood said. "She's Lord Hausen's granddaughter. Lyndis, this is Hector. He's Lord Uther's brother."

"His brother?" Lyndis gaped at the blue haired lordling, seeming to forget that they were in a hurry to move inside the castle. "Really?"

"Yes," Hector said impatiently.

Lyndis was about to say something, but Senna called to them from the staircase.

"Can we please make the introductions later?! We still need to find Lord Hausen!"

"R-right," Eliwood said. "Let's go!"

Inside the gates, Senna was speaking to Matthew. As they approached, she nodded and gestured for him to leave. Matthew nodded and disappeared into the shadows.

"Matthew told me that there's still a few Laus soldiers in the halls," she said. "However, he didn't see any of the Caelin guards. I've sent him back to scout deeper."

"I think half of them were killed in the surprise attack," Lyndis said softly.

"Perhaps locked away as prisoners?" Kent asked.

"If Marquess Laus decides to hold them hostage," Eliwood said, "it will make seizing the throne much more difficult."

Hector settled his axe on his shoulder. "It's settled! Let's find the guards and retake the castle!"

Senna bit gently down on her index finger, mentally mapping out Castle Caelin in her head. During her short stay there the year before, she had explored it thoroughly until she was sure she knew every nook and cranny. Of course, that had been quite some time ago, but she was sure that she had her mental map just about right.

"We best split up," she said softly. "This will allow us to cover more ground and find the soldiers. It won't do for all of us to stay together. The halls won't accommodate us all comfortably."

"Good idea, Senna," Sain said cheerfully. "Please give me the honor of leading you through the halls of –"

"I already know my way around the castle, Sain," Senna interrupted. "All right, this is how we'll do this. Lyndis and Sain, take Priscilla, Erk, and Eliwood with you. When we reach the part of the hallway ahead that branches off, go right. I will take the rest with me and we'll go the other direction."

"The right hallway leads to the dungeons, right?" Lyndis asked. Her eyes lit up with understanding. "If there are prisoners there, they'll recognize me when come to save them!"

Senna nodded. "Yes. We'll meet up at the door to the throne room."

"Why am I stuck with you?" Hector grumbled as they moved down the hallway.

Suddenly, she flicked her wrist at a nearby pillar. An archer slumped from behind it, Senna's dagger stuck into his forehead. She glanced at Hector and grinned.

"Matthew told me there were several archers roaming the halls," she said sweetly. "And I would rather have you be the pincushion instead of me."


End file.
